Volunteering
Across the UK, orienteering continues to grow and is enjoyed by thousands of people of all ages and abilities. It truly is a sport for all, challenging mind and body. But none of this would be possible without the hard work and dedication of the sports many volunteers. Learn more about how you can get involved with volunteering on this page.
Why get involved?
With the sport continuing to grow, we need more volunteers to evolve and provide a great experience for every orienteer. Not only is volunteering rewarding, it also helps you develop key skills such as event coordination, planning and much more!
If you can play a role in developing the next generation of orienteers, or have the ability to inspre and support orienteers to achieve their potential, please reach out to your local club to learn about how you can do more.
Watch this short video to learn more about how to become a volunteer.
Ways in which you can volunteer
Volunteering in clubs
For every orienteer enjoying the sport, there’s a volunteer in the background who’s helping them to have a great experience. Roles are diverse and vary in the skills and time needed, so there’s always a way to volunteer in an area of interest to you, but more importantly, have fun and do something amazing with your time.
There are many roles within clubs from taking a position on the committee to simply giving up an hour or two supporting events. The following are some role descriptions will help you to understand some of the key responsibilities and what skills you could develop.
Roles can be categorised into the areas below. Simply click on the relevant role to find out more information.
- Club officials
- Mapping
- Planning
- Controllers
- Organisers - coming soon.
- Coaching
Other ways to volunteer
Here are some of the other ways you can get involved and volunteer at events.
Event Officials and staffing of Orienteering events
Role descriptions
- Event Co-ordinator
- Controller (Currently being updated)
- Race Day Organiser
- Race Day Planner
- Car Park Team Leader
- Start Team Leader
- Arena Manager
- Finish & Changeover Team Leader
- Safety Officer
- Prize Giving Team Leader
- Equipment Officer
- String Course Team Leader
- Registration/Enquiries Team Leader
- Entries Secretary
Recognising our volunteers
We appreciate all the hard work and efforts of our volunteers across the sport. Each year we host our Annual Awards which recognise our Clubs, Coaches, Volunteers and Mappers, all of whom contribute to helping orienteering continue to thrive. Learn more about our awards below.
Club, Coach and Volunteering Awards
Our Club, Coach and Volunteering Awards recognise the multiple roles of volunteering within our sport, from club development and coaching, to inspiring inclusion and respecting the natural environment of where our sport takes place. Access the award categories and learn how to nominate here.
Mapping Awards
Maps are an essential element of our sport, hence, we also annually award a number of trophies to encourage high standards of mapping and related activities. Learn more about our mapping awards and how to nominate.